Radio operated power drive systems for garage doors, security gates, and other movable members are in common use and typically comprise a reversible electric motor together with an input signal source such as a push-button, radio transmitter/receiver or a combination of such means for alternately starting the motor in opposite directions of travel. A stop command is typically provided by devices such as limit switches which respond to displacement of the movable member at the opposite limits of travel to open circuit the motor. To insure that the motor is alternately driven in opposite directions for each of successively applied input signals it has been common to use a mechanical relay device having a coil and a magnetically displaceable armature element which alternately toggles in a pivot arrangement to make opposite electrical circuits to the drive motor. The relay, often a "ratchet relay," is a mechanically bistable device and has been in use in domestic and commercial garage door operators for many years. It is, however, relatively expensive and requires a momentarily large current surge for proper operation.
Power operators are often provided with push-button actuators. However, it is typically desirable to further provide for the remote operation of garage door and gate operators by means of a small radio transmitter/receiver combination. The receiver operates in response to appropriate radio frequencies to provide the momentary current surge to the bistable relay thereby to appear in the electrical sense to be the equivalent of the momentary closure of a push-button or other similar switch.
The radio receiver requires a regulated power supply for proper recognition of the transmitter pulses as will be apparent to those skilled in the radio transmission art. Generally the receiver and power supply is carried in a housing for the radio receiver which is separate from the operator housing so that the receiver may be quickly and easily removed for service without the necessity for complete demounting of the operator. Thus, when the receiver is detached from the operator housing for service, the regulated voltage source is removed with it.